


Golden Days

by jeonghooniesan



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Songfic, Teen Romance, a lot of swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 05:47:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17420222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeonghooniesan/pseuds/jeonghooniesan
Summary: And in a hot summer day, Jisung and Chenle discovers a love story in a Polaroid picture.





	Golden Days

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Panic! At The Disco's "Golden Days"
> 
> ENJOY THE FLUFF!

When Jisung asked Chenle out on a date as an official couple, it was in a summer afternoon, sun hot to the skin, and wind blowing through strands of hair. If you were to ask why Jisung and Chenle are so in love in a young a age, they would always say that age does not matter when fate played a game of cupid.

Jisung has been in love with the boy with the cute laugh ever since they met at dance club, as cliche as it is; freshmen in high school, young and very naive still. At first, it was how Chenle would dance to the songs so elegantly, a small smile on his face as every beat resonates through his body. Then it was how he brushed through his hair with a certain shine in his eyes. Then it was how he spoke with a small accent from living in China all his life.

It was really the simplest things that made Chenle fall in love with Jisung, and it may not be as early as the younger, but it has always been present without him knowing. It started when they would walk home together, an ever-growing feeling in Chenle’s chest when Jisung is skipping through pavement when he’s too happy. It was when he would crack up dad jokes in the middle of their phone call at one in the morning. It was when Jisung would speak so low and so vibrant that it shakes Chenle’s core.

So, yes, they are young to fall in love, but it really wasn’t that hard.

Chenle was the first one to hold Jisung’s hand, but Jisung was the one who held the tightest. Chenle was the first one to bring Jisung close for a peck on the cheek, but Jisung was the one who held his face elegantly for a chaste kiss on the lips.

It really wasn’t that hard.

Hand in hand, they walk aimlessly, smiling at each other, sometimes gossiping about their two other friends in their friend group who are crushing on each other (in which Donghyuk thinks that Mark is a hetero when Mark himself flaunts his gay ass to everyone by wearing anything that represent the pansexual flag), as they walk into an antique store. But it wasn’t just second hand items, it also contained beautiful vinyls of iconic artists from the past, beautiful sculptures that was once forgotten, and various items that may have been so important in the past but now just a mere dust in the cabinet.

“Chenle.” Jisung calls out to him, and Chenle turns to looks at where Jisung is looking.

“Yeah?” Chenle lets Jisung bring him to wherever it is in the store and they spot the whole collection of Michael Jackson vinyls.

“Do you think Haechannie-hyung would like one for his birthday?” Jisung asks as he lets his free hand walk through the CDs.

“Do you have the money to buy it?”

“Right… Nevermind.”

Jisung starts to walk away when Chenle shakes his head and pulls Jisung back to his space. “Let’s make it a joint gift. I’ll buy it with you.”

“No, it’s okay! You don’t have to spend money-”

“But I want to. It’s for Donghyuk-hyung anyway, so it’s fine.” And Jisung just nods, submitting to his boyfriend.

Chenle looks behind Jisung’s shoulder and squints. Chenle releases his hold on Jisung as he walks away, feeling Jisung’s confusion. Chenle thinks that Jisung looked at his hand in confusion and goes back and forth from his hand to Chenle; he is too familiar with how a Park Jisung works.

When he comes close to the item he was curious of, it was a pile of polaroids in a crate. “Jisung, c’mere.” Chenle could hear Jisung skip to him, and if Chenle was looking, he would be blushing by how Jisung would look like.

“Yeah? What is it?” Jisung wraps his arm around Chenle’s, and leans his head on his shoulder, obviously with an effort from their height difference.

“We should invest on a polaroid camera!” Chenle picks up a picture of a group of friends in the beach, hairstyles signifying that it was taken back in the 40’s, women’s hair curled inward, while men were brushed up neatly. “These pictures look so good. I bet if the group took pics like these, it would look so retro.” Chenle gestures a peace sign in each hand, crossing on front of him. “Cool kids, you know.” He makes a smug face and Jisung just snorts a laugh. “What?” Chenle pouts.

“Nothing. You’re cute.” He says confidently, and Chenle hides his shy smile by pinching Jisung’s fluffy cheeks. “Ah! It’s painful!” He says, pouting cutely as Chenle goes back to going through the pile of pictures.

Chenle finds a polaroid quiet different from the rest. The other polaroids contained groups of people smiling, having fun, sometimes it was a family, some were a group of friends, others are sceneries and horizons, but the picture on Chenle’s hand was different; it was the back of two men, judging from their crisp suits, their hands intertwined, and it looked like they were running away from someone. The man on the right was face forward, so his features cannot be seen, but the man on the left shown his side profile, eyes looking straight at the other, a big smile on his face.

“That looks cute.” Jisung says at Chenle’s ear. “They look like good friends.”

“Actually…” An unknown voice comes on front of them, and they were faced by an old man, a small smile on his face, hair silver, sky blue button-up shirt, and a tie. “They were a couple.”

“Ah? Really?” Chenle looks at any indication of a date, and he sees the year ‘1971’ printed with the picture. “But, sir, wasn’t gay people mostly shunned from society during the 70’s”

The old man smiles at them. “That is correct... Chenle, right? I overheard your little chatter from the counter, so I figured out your names.” Chenle nods. “You are right Chenle. If the both of you lived during my time, you wouldn’t even find each other because you would be hiding in the closet in the hopes of no one finding out the real you. May i?” He reaches out for the picture and Chenle offers it to him. “But you see, Jisung and Chenle, love works in different ways. In terms of these two fine gentlemen in the photograph, when fate goes out to play cupid, nothing, not even the law, can stop them.”

The man flips the polaroid and gives it back to them, showing something written on the back:

_D x J_

_NY1971_

__

_“What? What do you mean you’re gay?!”_

_It was Johnny whom Doyoung told first of his sexuality, a good friend in work who he trust so dearly. Being gay in society that runs by a homophobic government and a too-conservative households means instant incarceration or be drugged to ensure that you release yourself of sexuality change and be mental healthy. Having to accept that you like to hold a man’s hand is already a battle of man versus self because of one’s fear of rejection. But Doyoung couldn’t handle it anymore, most especially that the one man he is pining over is also a colleague and a good friend to them._

_Doyoung slaps Johnny’s arm. “Can you shut the fuck up? Someone might hear you.” He says in whisper._

_“We are the smoking area during working hours, Doyoung. No one else is here.”_

_“Still, okay?” Doyoung takes a puff of his cigarette and throws it to the ground, stepping on it in frustration. “This isn’t bothering you?”_

_“Uh… No. Might as well tell you now since you’re out but I’m gay, too, so don’t worry about me spitting on your face.” Johnny pats his shoulder in assurance and Doyoung sighs a relief._

_“Thank Jesus Christ in heaven.”_

_“Amen.” He lifts his hand that had the cigarette as if he was lifting a toast._

_“Thank you, Johnny. I just needed to tell someone or else i’ll implode on myself.”_

_“It’s understandable in our circumstances. Are you in love with anyone, though? Since you just claimed that you are attracted to cocks now.” Doyoung laughs and that made Johnny laugh too, the atmosphere becoming relaxed and light._

_“Jaehyun.”_

_“What? Say that again? Who?”_

_“I said it’s Jaehyun.”_

_Johnny disposes of his cigarette. “You mean Jung Jaehyun, one of our renowned producers, and our best friend?”_

_“Yes, Johnny. Say it louder for the people at the fucking back, Johnny.”  He says sarcastically._

_“Oh shit, Doyoung. I have some news for you.” Johnny lights himself a new cigarette and and hands another to Doyoung, lighting it and the both of them taking a huff together._

_“What? What’s the news?”_

_Johnny laughs at Doyoung’s curious face. “It’s better if you hear it from him yourself.”_

_“Wha-”_

_The door to the smoking area opens and Jaehyun comes in with a smile on his face. “Well, speaking of… Hey, Jaehyun. Here,” Johnny hands him his cigarette, “Have my stick.” He looks back at Doyoung’s confused face. “Bye.”_

_“Wait? What the fuck, Johnny?” Doyoung almost shouts but then he realizes that the man he is pining for is of close proximity to him._

_“What’s happening? What did you guys talk about?” Jaehyun takes a huff from the cigarette and leans on the wall, near Doyoung._

_Doyoung notices the soft pink on Jaehyun’s cheeks and his heart skips so many beats that he could actually go to cardiac arrest right at that moment._

_“It’s nothing. You know Johnny…”_

_“He’s a dick? I know.” After talking to Johnny about his feelings for Jaehyun, he doesn’t know how to approach the longing he feels for the man, an awkward silence shared between them. But Jaehyun speaks up before he could. “Shouldn’t you not be smoking since you’re a vocal coach?”_

_“I’m stressed over a magnitude of things, so spare me from your scolding.”_

_“Right. Noted, Doyoung.” Jaehyun laughs from Doyoung’s straightforward answer._

_“Shouldn’t you have recording right now?” Doyoung asks, a genuine curiosity in his question._

_“It finished early, so I’m free. Plus, it’s almost new year’s; it’s better to go home early before night comes since the snow gets extra cold.” Doyoung nods at the answer as he extinguishes his cigarette_

_“Alright. It’s nice talking to you, Jaehyun, but i better go-” Doyoung was about to get away from the situation since his heart is having its own party in his chest, but Jaehyun stops him, his hand tightly wrapped on Doyoung’s._

_“Wait.” Doyoung looks at their hands, shock written on his face, and nervousness on Jaehyun’s face. “Can I ask you something?”_

_“Uh…” Doyoung looks at their connected hands and Jaehyun suddenly releases him, as if realizing his gesture. “What is it?” Doyoung stands straight as he tries to calm his heart._

_“What are your plans this new year’s? Are you going to the party our boss is hosting?”_

_“You mean the one where we party in his pretentious yacht in the middle of winter?” Jaehyun nods, swallowing nervously. “Then yeah. I have nothing else to do, anyway.”_

_“Oh… You’re not celebrating it with a special someone?”_

_Doyoung hesitates from answering. “I-i Don’t have anyone special as of the moment.”_

_“Oh t-that’s good. Wait… No. That’s not good. I mean-”_

_“Shut up, Jaehyun. I get it.” Doyoung laughs at how his friend stutters. “Whatever, then. I’ll see you tomorrow?”_

_Jaehyun looks at him with a bewildered look and nods. “Yeah, I’ll see you.”_

_“Alright. Bye, Jae.”_

_“Bye…”_

_It actually took Doyoung and Jaehyun 4 days to see eachother again since their schedules don’t match up at all, in that 4 days, Doyoung’s pining becomes a mess of emotions and all he could think of is how Jaehyun would smile in the midst of the snow slowly falling softly on his hair; it doesn’t really help on making Doyoung’s heart stop beating so fast when he imagines Jaehyun in all the romantic cliche ways possible._

_And in the 4th day of not seeing each other, new year’s eve is right around the corner, creeping in. He was on the way to the pier for the pretentious yacht party his boss is hosting; he really wasn’t planning on going, but he doesn’t have food in his fridge at this point because of the incandescent feeling of laziness in his bones, so he decides to go (and hopes that he could bring some take-out.)_

_He hasn’t even stepped on the yacht yet when he spots Johnny taking pictures (since it’s his job as a photographer) with his polaroid camera, lights flashing in the midst of the snow. When they lock eyes, Johnny quickly takes a picture of him while Doyoung was glaring, having the picture come out as if Doyoung was snarling at the snow resting on his nose._

_“Happy new year, Doyoung!” Johnny shouts, wrapping an arm around his shoulders._

_“Just new year for me. I have a horrible headache right now.”_

_“Well, that should change since Jaehyun just arrived.”_

_Johnny leaves him there, looking around to spot the man he has been wanting to see, and when he does, Jaehyun had a soft scarf wrapped around his neck, a beanie making the excess hair on his forehead puff, and Jaehyun basically looks like he is being swallowed up by his winter attire that it makes Doyoung’s heart sink into the oblivion._

_“Hey, Doyoung. Good evening.” Jaehyun comes close enough to hug Doyoung, and a sudden rush of warmth courses through his body._

_“Good evening.” When they separate, Jaehyun’s cheeks were pink, but Doyoung decides it’s from the cold. “Happy new year.” He says, a smile on his face, and Jaehyun smiles back._

_“Happy new year.” They suddenly hear music playing from the yacht and they both look at the well-lit boat. “I think it’s starting.” Jaehyun says._

_“Shall we, then?” Doyoung looks at him, and Jaehyun nods._

_Throughout the night, it was Doyoung and Jaehyun in their own world, smoking by the rail, a glass of champagne in their hands, and perfect banter. Doyoung admits that the way Jaehyun’s words slip out from his mouth like song is the best music he has ever heard, and the way his holds the champagne glass may be the best work of art he has ever seen. Maybe he is in love, maybe he is not, but Doyoung is sure that his heart is beating just for the man staring at him right now._

_It takes them 6 champagne glasses to realize how close they are to each other, and that they migrated from the main foyer to a secluded area of the yacht, away from the crowd, away from the loud chattering. It was just them, the stars, and the nearing firework displays that will welcome the new year._

_At some point, within the few seconds they listen to the drifting music from above them, Jaehyun comes close until their shoulders meet and they share body heat._

_“Doyoung.” Jaehyun whispers, as if he has a secret._

_“Yeah? Why so quiet?”_

_“I want to tell you something. I trust you, okay?”_

_Doyoung nods in nervousness, thinking of the possible answers he will give; ‘Doyoung, i’m a straight up heterosexual,’ ‘Doyoung, I’m getting married with this woman,’ ‘Doyoung, I’m moving away to Europe’ or whatever fuckery his mind creates. But the way Jaehyun fidgets at his spot, how his fingers meet together and nip at the skin of his thumbs, shows that he is nervous, that it is serious and shouldn’t be overlooked._

_“What is it?” Doyoung says, consideration in his voice._

_“If you hate me after this, then it’s okay. I just want you to understand that I’m still the same after this.” Jaehyun looks at Doyoung with sad eyes, and Doyoung just nods as a response, giving Jaehyun all the time to build his courage. “Doyoung, I’m gay.”_

_Oh._

_It caught Doyoung by surprise; of course, anyone coming out would be a surprise most especially in a society like this. It made Doyoung sigh a relief knowing that he isn’t alone in this internal and societal battle for self-worth._

_“Doyoung? Please respond.” Jaehyun says, and Doyoung doesn’t realize that he has been staring, processing Jaehyun’s words._

_“Ah… Sorry. I was just surprised.”_

_“Yeah. I’m surprised myself. You don’t hate me?” Jaehyun asks, a tint of uncertainty in his voice._

_“I’m gay, too, Jaehyun, if that answers anything.”_

_“Oh.” Jaehyun was now the one left to stare and be surprised._

_“Surprise.” Doyoung laughs softly. “Johnny knows, too.”_

_“Same.”_

_“You told Johnny, too?”_

_Jaehyun nods. “Yeah. Other than you, it’s him.” Doyoung could sense the hesitation from Jaehyun when there is sudden silence between them, but he eventually speaks up. “Do you love anyone right now?”_

_Doyoung looks at Jaehyun’s curiosity, and he notices how his shoulders tremble. “Uhm…”_

_Jaehyun interrupts before Doyoung could even answer properly. “Oh you know, you don’t have to answer that. I-it’s just… I wanted to know so that… I don’t know where I’m getting into. I just like you and-”_

_Jaehyun goes silent when he realizes what he said, and Doyoung goes into shock._

_“What?” Doyoung asks and Jaehyun stutters. “What did you say?”_

_“I… T-that I wanted to know if you love someone-”_

_“No. After that.” Doyoung quickly dismisses him, and Jaehyun goes silent, swallowing nervously before answering back._

_“That I like yo-”_

_Doyoung quickly pulls Jaehyun by the neck to let their lips meet, not caring if anyone will find them. In the background, the countdown for the new years starts, and when the fireworks finally burst into the stars, they were still connected. In the cold night, all they could feel is warmth in each other’s touch, and it keeps Jaehyun and Doyoung sane._

_There was a sudden flash of light and a click of a camera, and for a split second, they panic, turning to the sound. But they are met with Johnny smiling at them, waiting for the film to print. “And so, the love story has finally begun.” Johnny says as he gives them a grin and he holds the polaroid in between his fingers._

_“Hey!” Doyoung shouts, and Johnny just laughs._

_“I’ll be keeping this. Memories, you know.”_

_Jaehyun leans on Doyoung’s shoulder in embarrassment while Doyoung looks at their friend. “Give that to us.”_

_“Nah.”_

_Doyoung turns, quickly intertwining his fingers in between Jaehyun’s to pull him towards Johnny. Doyoung grabs for the picture, and Johnny was caught by surprise. “Doyoung!”_

_“If you want it back, you better catch us.” And Doyoung starts to run, with Jaehyun on tow, being pulled by Doyoung’s hold on his._

_They run away from Johnny, just running in circles in their secluded area. And when Johnny is close enough to them, close enough to grab the picture from Doyoung, he decides that the smile on Doyoung and Jaehyun’s face was enough to memorize. So in the middle of laboured breaths and tired limbs, Johnny takes his polaroid and snaps a shot of them in the perfect timing. Johnny stops while Doyoung and Jaehyun still runs away, not realizing that Johnny stopped pursuing them._

_In the right moment, he takes a picture of Doyoung looking at Jaehyun with so much love, eyes sparkling from the light of the night while there were fireworks behind them. Their hands were intertwined so perfectly, fitting each other like puzzles pieces, and it makes Johnny smile from how his two best friends finally met in the middle of this chaos._

_Doyoung and Jaehyun do stop, but they don’t care anymore from running away from Johnny. They look at each other’s smiles, breathing ragged and fogging, golden light showering over them._

_Within the noise of new years, the crash of the sea on the boat, the music being brought to the wind, Jaehyun and Doyoung hears it loud and clear, the both of them saying it in sync, so beautifully trembling:_

_“I love you.”_

 

____

In the end, Chenle buys Jisung an old ring, silver with a single hole in a shape of a heart in the middle, and Jisung reluctantly accepts it. Chenle places it on Jisung’s right ring finger, and promises that he’ll be the best boyfriend Jisung could ever have with a kiss on the cheek after.

When they step out of the store, the sun was already starting to come down from the sky, painting the day golden.

Inside the store, the old man goes back behind the cashier and watches the boys exchange of love and assurance to each other.

“Who were those boys?” He feels arms wrap around his waist from behind and a chin lean on his shoulder.

“Oh, a young couple on a date. They were looking at the polaroids.”

“Ah… Young love.  It really is beautiful. And what did I tell you about scattering Johnny’s polaroid pictures around the store?”

“Yeah, yeah. I shouldn’t scatter them so they could be preserved. Whatever, Doyoung. You nag at me too much.”

Doyoung goes to stand beside him, a glare on his face. “I get married to you years ago in the hopes of living a happy life, but I get this slander? I shouldn’t have fallen in love with you, Jung Jaehyun.”

Jaehyun laughs and kisses Doyoung’s lips so intimately, which relaxed Doyoung’s angry features. “But you did.”

Doyoung rolls his eyes, wrapping an arm around Jaehyun’s waist. “Yeah, I did.”

**Author's Note:**

> Send some love, leave a kudos, comment, or bookmark <3
> 
> twt: @JungDoSmile @NewBIueBoy


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